How to THINK of more character designs

Name: How to THINK of more character designs
Uploaded: 2024-10-12T16:00:17+00:00
Duration: 57 s
Channel: Ryan Maloney
Description: In this concise instructional video, Ryan Maloney shares a practical workflow for generating a steady stream of character design ideas. He emphasizes…

12 Oct 2024 · 1 min

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In this concise instructional video, Ryan Maloney shares a practical workflow for generating a steady stream of character design ideas. He emphasizes four core habits: (1) observing real‑world anatomy—head, ears, nose, eyes—and mentally translating those forms into cartoon styles; (2) studying successful movies, products, and other designers, while systematically noting recurring shape categories (head shapes, nose shapes, eye angles, etc.) using simple tools like Notepad or phone reminders; (3) adopting a "create more than you consume" mindset, producing work regardless of skill level and leveraging social pressure by posting frequently and experimenting publicly; and (4) seeking inspiration from top designers by mimicking their work, giving credit, and asking questions. By focusing on these habits, Maloney claims creators can maintain an endless supply of fresh character concepts.

Chapters

How to think of more character designs. The first thing I'm doing is always studying real life and just observing how people's bodies are structured, their head shape, their ear shape, their nose shape, and what those would look like as cartoon. I'm also studying successful movies and products and how their characters are structured, and I'm constantly taking notes on what I see. I just use Notepad or the reminders on my phone. Here are some of the things I keep tabs on: head shapes, nose shapes, different eye shapes and angles. The next thing is do. Create more than you consume. Doesn't matter if you suck, just do it. And it helps to have the social pressure of posting. Post as often as you can. And don't be afraid to experiment in public. See how I spelled experiment wrong? That's because this video is an experiment. The last thing is get inspiration from the greatest designers you can possibly follow. Mimic them, give them credit, ask them questions. Focus your attention on all pieces of this pie and you'll have an endless supply of character design ideas.